The objective of this invention is to utilize the principle of operation set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,173 to create a practical, economical and self-sustaining irrigation system for vast arid regions which heretofore have been impossible to irrigate by conventional means. The irrigation system of the present invention can be utilized with or without the hydroelectric power generating feature of U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,173. The only requirement for complete viability of the irrigation system is one or more natural or man-made sources of water which are substantially inexhaustible.
A more specific object is to make use of hydraulic rams of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,173 for lifting water without utilizing external power into a series of tanks along the irrigation network to produce a system which may continue indefinitely for as long as the initial source of water exists.
A further object is to provide an irrigation system of the above type which is substantially independent of topography.
While the disclosed system is intended primarily as an irrigation system with or without power generation, it may also serve to supply water for other purposes along the system or network.
Still another object of the invention is to utilize the inherent simplicity, operational efficiency and comparative freedom from maintenance possessed by hydraulic rams which have been used for years in rural regions to fill water storage tanks from nearby streams but have not heretofore been known or used in irrigation systems.
Historically, ditches and aqueducts have been utilized for land irrigation over relatively short distances but have not been practical for irrigation on a long distance basis. Their success is dependent on water flow by gravity. Moreover, irrigation ditches and aqueducts share the common problem of requiring ducts of large initial water carrying capacities to amply supply the smaller downstream tributaries, thus drastically limiting their range. The present invention completely eliminates this problem in the prior art by providing an irrigation system which can be operated over vast areas while utilizing piping of uniform size throughout the entire system. Only distribution rate in this system has its controlled limits, these being pipe size and amount of water available at the source, coupled with the capacity of the rams used in the system. In extreme cases, it may take weeks or months to fill the system but, once filled, the self-sustaining system will supply water from the source to the farthest reaches at a uniform rate.
The heart of the irrigation system, the hydraulic ram, is a time tested piece of equipment which is able to operate continuously for many years, totally without requiring outside power. Hence, electrical power failure, shortages of gas and oil, have no effect on the operability of the irrigation system.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.